Thoughts....: Issue 4

Give the Revs a chance. There is plenty of talent in the squad. These aren't the days of Woodring and Ukrop. This side can play with the rest of MLS. Maybe

If Paolo Wanchope gives up fame and fortune in England for lesser fame and lesser fortune in America, then he is a very special type of player. That $7 million price tag could be a bit of a stumbling block, although Wanchope is significantly younger than $4 million bust Luis Hernandez, the league will be wary of dishing out so much money on a player who may not attract a significant crowd to his prospective home.

MLS did not make a better signing than John Spencer during this off-season. The discovery player has gone from seeing little time with Motherwell to being the key cog in the Colorado offense. When Spencer isn't in the lineup, the Rapids aren't likely to win. Most of all, he's come at a cheap price for the league. $200,000 a year isn't bad when you don't have to pay a transfer free. The ex-Chelsea and QPR looks to have found a niche.

John Harkes is not a creative midfielder.

Johnny Torres is Paul Keegan in a shorter frame. One minor difference: Keego had a knack of coming through when the Revs needed it. Johnny hasn't shown that yet. If JT can find a way to put the ball in the net, his role will truly become that of Keegan.

I doubted the Metrostars coming into 2001. They didn't have much on that backline. I figured it was all over when Daniel Hernandez and Adolfo Valencia got their mandatory nasty injury, leaving the Metrostars paper thin at the back and up front. Then again, Clint Mathis wasn't supposed to turn into the American Maradona overnight, and Rodrigo Faria was supposed to be that patented crappy Metros draft pick. Their play has lifted the Metros to the upper regions of MLS. The backline has been somewhat solid, despite Tim Howard's lackluster play. On the decent chance that the Metros defense has an off night, the offense just overpowers the opposing defense. Amazing.

If Onandi Lowe is considered a discovery player, then something is definitely wrong.

If the Revs could get Eric Quill for Brian Dunseth, they should be charged with grand theft. Tampa Bay is looking for needs right now, and considering their defense is worse than American Samoa's, Dunseth fits the bill. Quill would fill a backup striker/midfielder role, and would come in most handy with the enivitable injury to Chrono as he plays wide left. You can't reject getting something for nothing at this point.

The Galaxy shouldn't be stacked for this summer's World Club Championships. While it may bring the league great notoriety, MLS shouldn't sacrifice its regular season quest for fifteen minutes of fame. L.A. doesn't look to be going anywhere during this MLS season. Kansas City is the class of the Western division, and San Jose isn't looking bad either.

John Wolyniec, we hardly knew you. After that D.C. performance, I'm not sure we really wanted to explore that relationship much more.

Mark my words: Braeden Cloutier will be a significant improvement over John Harkes.

Is the A-League planning on playing this year? I haven't heard much on them. Is there still a TV contract?

Let's try Alan Woods at center back. It makes much more sense. Dunseth is not the player we need there, especially if he's likely to be dealt soon.

Matt Okoh.....not good......not good at all

It's not a long thoughts column this month. The focus was on other more important matters like the state of the team. Let's just say next month can't be any worse. On a brighter note, I've started writing for Soccer New England in the past few months. I urge you to go out and pick it up. It covers the gamut of New England soccer, from the Revs to the youth scene. E-mail Michael Jones at soccer1@ma.ultranet.com for subscription info. Trust me, it's worth it.